Devendra Kumar
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities has introduced a unique solution to safeguard Fairbanks International Airport from wildlife threats. The solution is a headless robot, nicknamed Aurora, designed to imitate predator-like movements to deter birds and animals from settling near plane landing areas. Measuring about the size of a Labrador Retriever, Aurora is camouflaged to resemble a coyote or fox, which will patrol an outdoor area near the runway every hour during the migratory bird season.
Ryan Marlow, a program manager with the transportation department, emphasized the robot’s purpose, saying, “The sole purpose of this is to act as a predator and allow for us to invoke that response in wildlife without having to use other means.” The panels that disguise Aurora as a coyote or fox will not be hyper-realistic, and officials opted against using animal fur to ensure the robot remains waterproof. The idea of using a robot to deter wildlife emerged after officials rejected a plan to employ flying drones spraying a repellent containing grape juice.
The department has previously implemented various deterrent methods, including releasing pigs near the Anchorage airport in the 1990s to eat waterfowl eggs. The test period in Fairbanks will also assess the robot’s effectiveness in deterring larger animals, such as moose and bears. Fairbanks International Airport is pioneering the use of robots in wildlife mitigation, and if the test proves successful, similar robots could be deployed to smaller airports across the state.
Aurora’s deployment is expected to be cost-effective compared to hiring human deterrent teams. The robot can navigate through rain or snow and will always be monitored by a human handler. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities is optimistic about the potential of Aurora to mitigate wildlife encounters at airports, and the robot’s performance will be closely monitored during the test period.